Anchorage



Jan. 5 1926.

William H. Wheeler' Judaon C. Lo an Filed August 15, 1924 W. H. WHEELER ET AL ANCHORAGE Patented Jan. 5, 1926.

UNITED STATES WILLIAM H. WHEELER, OF GLEN RIDGE,

AND JUDSON C. LOGAN, OF JERSEY CITY,

NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNORS TO FEDCO NUMBER PLATE CORPORATION, 0F NEW YORK,

N. Y., A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

ANCHORAGE.

Application led August 15, 1924.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, vWILLtAisr H. WHEELER, a citizen of the United States, and a icsideiit of Glen Ridge, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, and J UnsoN C. LOGAN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Jersey City, in the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and.Improved Anchorage, of which the followingy is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to an improved means for anchoring a member to a suitable base in such a manner that it cannot beV removed Without disfiguring or mutilating the member or the base.

One specific a plication of our invention is the securing of plates bearing numbers or other identifying indicia to automobiles or automobile parts in such manner as to prevent removing the plate without so mutilating or damaging it as to render it unsuitable for use again, thereby preventingthe shifting of plates from one automobile to another as is now commonly practiced by thieves or their accomplices to render diffi cult the detection and identification of stolen cars.

It is an object of our invention to provide an anchorage of very simple and inexpensive construction which can be applied with a minimum of labor.

With these and other objects in view our invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts as will be more fully hereinafter described and defined in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a plate attached to a suitable body;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on line 2 2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the plate;

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of an expander plus;

Fig. 5 is a cross sectional View of a modified form of the attaching device; and

Fig. 6 is a plan view of a thimble used in said modified form of attaching device.

In Figs. 1 to 3 we show a construction specifically adapted for anchoring a name or number plate to an automobile engine but it will be evidentthat the same or av closely Serial No. 732,268.

similar form of anchoring means could be used for attaching other members or parts together without departing from the scope of our invention and we do not wish to limit ourselves to the precise construction or specific application illustrated in the drawing. In Figs. 1 and 2, the numeral 10 is used to indicate a portion of an automobile engine on which a boss 11 is cast or otherwise formed. In this boss there is a shallow recess 12 of a size to receive the plate which is to be attached. In the floor of the recess there are two threaded holes 13. Cup shaped members or thiinbles 14 are screwed into the holes 13. Each tliiinble is provided with flange 15 near its upper end and the holes 13 are counter-sunk to provide seats for these flanges. The -rim 16 of each thimble extends above the flange 15 and projects in` wardly to form a lip 17. The upper face of the lip is tapered as indicated at 18.

lVithin the thimble 14 is placed a cylindrical plug 19 which at its lower end is formed with a flange 20 of such size as to permit the plug to be forced by the exercise of considerable pressure into the thimble past the lip 17. Hence, once the plug has been introduced into the thimble, it will not drop out and cannot readily be removed. The plug is formed with a cylindrical body portion 21 above which is a frusto-conical portion Q2 which reaches up to a plane slightly below the rim of the thimble .H- when the plug is introduced into the thimble. The plate which is to be attached to the body 10 is indicated by the nnnieral 23 and, as shown in Fig. 3, it .is formed with 'two annular flanges 24 depending from its lower surface, which flanges are adapted to enter the tliiinbles 14 in the annular space between the thiinbles and the plugs 19 therein. rIhe tapered faces 18 assist in guiding the flanges into the thimbles. The under surface 0f the plate is formed with a recess 25 around each flange, adapted to receive the rim 16 of the thimblc. This recess serves the double purpose of providing a Zone of weakness in the plate at the point of attachment and of permitting the thimble to pioject above the bottom plane of the plate, the object of which will be explained below. The flanges 24 are preferably formed with slots 26 therein, so as to facilitate the spreadll (l releases ing ot' the fiangcs when introduced into the thiinbles.

ln attaching a plate to an engine body. theA thimbles 1e with plugs 19 therein are screwed into the holes 13 until the flanges 15 seat on the counter-sunk portions of the holes 13. rl`he thimbles are ot a size to fi tight-ly into the threaded holes' so that the will he no danger oit their werking loo fheu the thimbles are in pla-ee, the pla is attached by inserting the flanges :2st into the annular space between the plugs lf) and the thiinbles l-l and then itorcing the plate inst the thiuibles until the rims 1G hear against `the top oit' recesses O3 and the bottoni surta e ot the plate Q3 bca .t gainst the top of f inge 13. in forcing the e into this pesitiom the flanges .El are flared outwardly Yfollowing the contour 0l: plugs lfl. thereby locling the plate to the thimbles as indicated 2. Vlt will be understood ol' courser` that one et the plugs 19 in Fig. Q is shown in sectioin while the other plug is shown in full. rlie flanges are of a thickness to fit very tightly between the lips 1T and the portion Q2 ot the plug and also between the portion 21 and the inner wall ot' the thimble. 'if he lips 1T bite into the flanges and prevent the latter from being withdrawn troni the thimble.

The shape ot the plug 19 and the tact that. it is not fixed to the thimble lil play an important part in our invention. Because the plug has freedom ot motion within the thiinble it can adjust itself to the flange 2l: should the latter not be accurately centered with respect to the thimble. As the flange forced down over the plug it is first flared by the truste conical portion 2Q and then pressed down into engagement with the cylindrical portion 21 seizing the latter in a firm grip. It' the plug were integral with or affixed to the socket 1st it might be possible to withdraw the flange, but becauc the plug is lree and because oi the tight grip ot nge on the portion El the plugl becomes 'ed to the flange and will rise i when the latter drz'lwn upthe lip 1T to bite into the d it tast. l his hold is so firin that the plate 23 will tear along the area weakened by recess 25 betere the lip 17 will shear through the flange.

Once the plate has been attached in this manner. itl cannot he remored. because the thinibles 1st are made ot rery hard and toroi` l tlre thiinbles 1lwoL rd therefore be Yi'rnstrated. The rim ot the thimble extends so far into the plate that it would be impossible for thief' to saw through the boss 11 and into the edge ot the plate clear of the rim without breaking through the upper tace of the plate7 thereby mutilating the plate and betraying the tact that the plate had been tampered with. Any effort to pull the plate out of engagement with the thimbles would result in breaking the plate along the part weakened by the recesses 25. It would be impossible to draw the temper ot' the thimble 14 without sawing off the boss 11 and applying a torch to the underside of the thimble. .lli this were done not only would the engine body be mutilated, but also it would be impossible to draw the temper' of the thinible lll without heating the plate Q?, unduly, and tht` surface ol' the plate would be dis'colored by the application of heat ot suf'liciently high temperature to draw the temper ot' the thimhles 1l. The recess 12 in the boss l1 serres mainly to discourage the thiol or his accomplices from attempting to tamper with the il'astening ot the plate. The recess can be dispensed with, it so desired, because the thimble is immune to attach. Any effort to turn the thimbles and unserew them from the holes 13 into which they are threaded very snugly is resisted by the flanges 24 which are wedged so tightly between the plug and the thimble that it' the thimble were turned the flanges would twist and tear out a. portion ot the plate ln Figs. and G, we show a modified form ot' our invention adapted particularly tor attachment of a member to a base ot plate form, such as the frame members ot an automobile chassis or to a panel board. Numeral 2T indicates one of the side Jframe members of an automobile chassis. To provide a seat for plate 25% a portion of the plate is pressed to form a boss 28 on 'one side and a recess Q9 on the other. Holes are bored or otherwise formed through the boss 28 and these holes are eonically flared on the underside as indicated in the drawing. Into each hole is fitted a lhimhle 1-'t cor- Hs ending lo thinible ll described above,l

n x a rim 1G with inwardlyT projecting lip l? However. thnnble 1l has no flange corresponding to flange l5 and the body ol the thiinble is not threaded but is provided with a conically7 tlared portion 5l() adapted to tit snugly into toe flarer part ot the hole. rflic thimble also lformed with a thickened and rounded bottom 81. ln attaching plate il?) with this type et thinible, the thimbles 1l and plugs 19 are introduced into the holes trom the underside and the plate and flanges 2l are introduced trom the upper side. The parts are then pressed together until the rim 16 et the thimble into the recess ot the plate.

lilith this anchorage it is impossible for a thief to remove the plate for the same reasons as those obtaining with the anchorage described above. ilrlthough he has free access to the underside of the thimble he cannot draw the temper of the latter without seriously disfiguring the plate 23.

As in the case of recess l2, it is not absolutely essential to form the frame member 37 with a recess 29 to receive the plate, because even without this recess, it would be ilnpossible to remove the plate from the frame member 27 without inutilating or disliguring the plate or inutilating the frame.

IVe claim:

l. In an anchorage of the character described, a base formed with an aperture, a thimble secured in the aperture and haring an inwardly projecting lip below the rim thereof, a plate `formed with a recess to receive said rim and an annular llanffe adapted to enter the thimble., said ret forming a weakened area surrouiuliug the flange, and an expander within the thimble adapted to expand the flange against the inner wall of the thixnble when the plate is pressed home against the thimble.

2. In an anchorage of the character described, a plate formed with an annular flange and with a recess surrounding the flange providing an area of weakness in the plate, a base formed with a recess adapted to receive the plate and with a threaded aperture in the recess, a thimble adapted to be screwed into said aperture and having a rim adapted to enter the recess in the plate, the thimble being further provided with an inwardly projecting lip, and a plug within the thimble adapted to press the flange against the lip and spread the flange against the inner wall of the thimble below the lip when the plate is pressed home against the thimble.

3. In an anchorage of the character described, a plate formed with an annular flange and with a recess surrounding the flange providing an area of weakness in the plate, a base formed with a recess adapted to receive the plate and with. a threaded aperture in the recess, a thimble adapted to be screwed into said apertureand having a rim adapted to enter the recess in the plate, the thimble being further provided with an inwardly projecting lip, and a plug freely movable within the thiinble, the plug being formed with a frusto-conical surface adapted to spread the flange against said lip and with a cylindrical portion adapted to be seized by the flange when the plate is pressed home against the thimble.

4. In an anchorage of the character described, a plate formed with a flange, a base formed with an aperture to receive the flange, and a lip at the mouth of the aperture formed with a. cutting edge adapted to bite into the flange.

5. In an anchorage of the character described, a plate formed with a flange, a base formed with an aperture to receive the flange, and a lip at the mouth of' the aperture formed with a cutting edge adapted to bite into the flange, the plate being formed with an area of weakness adjacent the flange.

(i. In an anchorage of the character de scribed, a plate formed with an annular flange, a base formed with an annular aperture to receive the flange, and an inwardly projecting lip formed on the base at the mouth of the aperture, said rib having a tapering upper face and a sharp lower corner adapted to bite into the flange.

7. In an anchorage of' the character described, a plate formed with an annular flange, and a base formed with an annular aperture to receive the flange, the base being undercut below the mouth of the aperture to form a cutting edge.

8. In an anchorage of the character de scribed, a base formed with an aperture, a bushing secured in the aperture, the bushing having an inwardly projecting lip formed with a tapered upper face and a sharp lower corner, a plate formed with an annular flange adapted to be introduced into the bushing, and means Within the bushing for expanding the flange against the sharp corner of the lip when the plate is pressed against the base.

9. In an anchorage of the character described, a base formed with an aperture, a thiinble secured in the aperture, the thimble having an inwardly projecting lip formed with a tapered upper face and a sharp lower corner, a tapered plug within the thiinble, and a plate formed with an annular flange adapted to be introduced into the thiinble and be expanded by the plug against the lip and against the inner surface of the thimble below the lip when the plate is pressed against the thimble.

10. In an anchorage of the character described, a plate formed with an annular flange, a base formed with an annular aperture adapted to receive the flange, means for expanding the flange to form a conical portion and a cylindrical portion below the conical portion, andy an inwardly proj ecting lip having a sharp corner adapted to bite into the flange above the cylindrical portion thereof.

1WILLIAM H. WHEELER. JUDSON C. LOGAN. 

